IT'S nearly time...

You've put the hours in, selected your running gear and now all you can think about is pulling on your trainers - it must be London Marathon week.

Thousands of runners will be heading to the capital on Sunday for one of the world's most famous races.

But here's some of the runners from our area that we will be keeping our eyes peeled for on TV.

Good luck everyone!

And please get in touch with us after the race to let us know how you got on.

Click through the gallery above to see our London Marathone heroes from St Helens and then read their stories below. 

1. Michael Ledger (33) and ex Saints, Leigh & Rochdale player Dave McConnell (36) are running for Royal National Institute of Blind Prople (RNIB) due to the ongoing support their friend Mark Rogerson (also running London Marathon) received from the charity during his sight loss in 2013.

2. My name is Sophie Welton, 29, and I'm running the London Marathon for Great Ormand Street Children's Hospital. It will be my first ever marathon!

3. Blind runner Mark Rogerson (34) and guide runner Mark Murray (29) 

4. I am running the London Marathon to help raise money for Whizz-Kidz. They are an amazing charity who help disabled children.
I had never run further than 10 miles before I started training for the marathon. I have been to a training day with the charity in London (as pictured)
I run twice a week with The Bandstand Runners who meet at Victoria Park and they have given me so much encouragement and advice.

5. I'm Stuart Cook and I'm running the London Marathon for the British Lung Foundation on 23/4/17. I'm 54 and from Haydock. It's my first London Marathon but my second ever marathon I ran my first on 2nd April 2017. 

6. From Garswood & Running the London Marathon for the 2nd time this year. I am doing it for the Muscular Dystrophy charity

7. I'm Rob from Newton-le-Willows and I'm running the 2017 Virgin London Marathon for Global's Make Some Noise.

A charity that helps a number of children and families as well as smaller charities who often don't get heard.

8. My name is Alex Cairns age - 46 Born and live in St Helens Im running for willowbrook hospice

9. I will be running London marathon in aid of Atherton and Leigh shelter for HoPe. I am 32 and this will be my first ever marathon. As you can see by the pictures I ran St. Helens 10k and Wigan half marathon in my training. I am hopeing the weather will be better.

10. I'm Craig, 34years young.
 I'm a veterinary nurse working in a veterinary hospital in Sutton St. Helens, and I am running to raise funds for Cats Protection St. Helens.
I live in St Helens and you can follow my progress at
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Craig-Tessyman1
=^.^=

11. The London Marathon will be my first Marathon. All in aid on Anthony Nolan, a fantastic blood cancer charity and stem cell register. Here's me finishing the Liverpool Half Marathon 2 years ago, how to be crossing the finish line with as much joy next week! I'm originally from Rainhill and living in London currently for work. Would be great to be featured! Thanks so much. 

Sponsor me at: http://m.virginmoneygiving.com/laurenatherton.

12. Mark Challinor, age 40, from Prescot, running the London Marathon 2017 in aid of Mind.

13. Stephen Webb just completed the Paris marathon in 3 hours 40 minutes and is heading to London just two weeks later and is raising money for Isabella Rose Foundation and Cancer Research.  Later in the year he will also be running the snowdon marathon.

14. I've never been a runner but after being bag minder and volunteer at St Helens parkrun for 2 years I decided to enter the 2015 ballot for the London marathon in May. I found out I was pregnant in Sept and then the ballot entries came out and I was to run the London marathon in 2016. I of course had to defer so here i am finished my training and ready ish! to run it in hopefully under 6hrs! 11mths after giving birth so my beautiful baby Ava. 
Hazel Farley 17-06-1973 age 43
from Rainhill

15. I grew up in Nutgrove and attended Rainhill High School. In 2002 I met petrus du plessis from Cape Town who moved to St.Helens whilst playing for LSH rugby club. We moved to St.Albans, Herts in 2009 after Petrus signed for Premiership giants Saracens where he has played 8 seasons for them, winning the premiership 3 times and becoming European champions last year. I am running the London marathon for Tourette's Action. All my family still live in St.Helens as do my husbands (his siblings moved from Cape Town and married locals from Rainhill and Widnes so the du Plessis clan is growing in the North West!). I come home to Rainhill every few weeks to see family and friends. Although my 3 sons have southern accents I will always be a northerner and they love coming to St.Helens! I can't wait to run my first marathon!! My parents will be travelling down from Rainhill to support me with my husband and 3 sons to cheer us all on!

16. I'm running the London marathon next weekend. I was lucky enough to be selected for the St Helens Tri club place. 
I turned 39 on 10th April and it will be my 6th marathon since I started running in 2014.

17. I am running the London Marathon for SENSE Charity, a Deaf / Blind Charity.
It helps both Children and Adults to make the best out of Life with additional support to themselves and their Families.
If you would like to donate
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/colinwilson23
Colin Wilson from St Helens aged 51 yrs